1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to accessories for use with paintbrushes, and more specifically to devices which attach to a paintbrush to facilitate resting the brush temporarily when in use, while holding the wet end of the brush away from nearby surfaces.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The practice of painting, to protect the surface of objects, to enhance their appearance, and for purely artistic purposes, is ancient. The basic method of using a brush, having a handle at one end and bristles at the other, dipped into a container of paint, has changed little.
Perhaps nearly as ancient is the problem of what to do with a paintbrush, loaded with paint, when it is necessary to temporarily sit down the brush. A painter may need to do preparation on the work site; move a ladder or other equipment; or use a different size brush or a brush with a different color of paint. Simply resting the brush on a convenient surface risks both getting paint on the surface and contaminating the brush with dirt and debris.
Many solutions to the problem have been tried. Most involve some sort of paintbrush holder mounted to the paint can or bucket, or some other fixed object such as a ladder; the paintbrush is returned to the holder when not in use. The drawback to such an approach is that it may not be convenient for the painter to return the brush to the holder, since the holder may be some distance away. The painter, for example, may be at the top of a ladder, with the need to momentarily rest the brush, while the paintbrush holder is attached to the paint bucket at the bottom of the ladder.
Professional painters will often invest in good quality paintbrushes, which are typically more effective and pleasant to use, produce better results, and, when properly maintained, may be used indefinitely. Having invested in an expensive paintbrush, professional painters have been know to pound a nail into the handle of the brush, such that the brush may be hung temporarily by the nail when required.
The broad range of prior art paintbrush holders thus do not meet the need for a very simple device which may be securely attached to a brush, and which remains with the brush, always ready should it be necessary to temporarily rest the brush, but which does not interfere with the normal use of the brush. Many existing paint brush holders are also relatively complex, consisting of an assembly of parts, and therefore of sufficient cost that a consumer might be reluctant to purchase the holder in the first place, and would feel compelled to clean and reuse the brush holder, rather than disposing of it after use. A consumer would also be reluctant to modify an expensive brush holder to meet a particular need, since the consumer would be risking the destruction of a relatively costly device.